The biggest change to my perspective yesterday regarded Valentino Rossi. I don't necessarily believe that he is the "Greatest Motorcycle Roadracer of All Time".

I've been following the sport for awhile now and believe that on any given day, on any given track any number of Riders in their prime could have given him a good run, at least, on comparable equipment. There were just such days, tracks and Riders This year. I'm taking nothing from Valentino there, I'm just saying he's not the only person, ever, that can ride the hell out of a motorcycle. There were a few fairly fast guys before Valentino was born, even.

I always respected him as a Great Champion although I thought he was in "Golden" positions and had used synergy or the big MO to roll through for awhile. I resented that many had labeled him "The Greatest Motorcycle Roadracer of All Time!"

His victories were shallow for me but he showed me more in defeat yesterday than any victory could have. I believe adversity can force a Man to show his true colors.

Well, how could Mini-me's stock do anything but go up? His comments after the Estoril and Valencia races were shallow and self-centered. Estoril - "My brakes failed" Yeah right. I was just getting to appreciate his talent, but he (and don't get me started on PUIG!!) just doesn't get it. No, Dani, you are NOT the center of the universe

YOU are nauseating...go climb back into the cesspool of negativity you came from. This year was Nicky's year and we're celebrating--no room for party poopers like you, sorry. Just go ahead and click the button marked "x" at the upper right of your browser.

I agree. Unfortunately, as happened earlier in the season, his Yamaha didn't quite have the right set-up, and he was fighting it.

Even if he hadn't crashed, I think he would have struggled for an 8th place finish needed to win the championship (Rossi wins tie-breaker with more wins) Further, If Nicky needed to, I think he could have pushed and gotten 2nd place. Rossi then would have needed 4th or better. No way, Rossi was getting 4th on that bike, that day.

I said that Nicky overcame more obstacles than any other rider to win a world championship. From a political and sometimes unjust set of circumstances, I certainly feel this is true. Looking back on Eddie Lwason's final championship (1989), he won that championship on a bike (Honda) that every other rider on the GP circuit said was absolutely unrideable. Gardner, Rainey, Doohan, Schwantz all stated the '89 Honda was the worst handling monster ever seen on the GP circuit. Eddie had the talent to ride around an "unrideable" machine to beat all of the above. I my opinion, perhaps the greatest riding achievement in GP racing.

No doubt, Rossi is one fine class act. He has done wonders to promote a sport that could use good publicity (especially in the lame and ignorant US sports world). And he certainly is the greatest rider in the post 2-stroke era. However, the 4-cycle bikes are much easier to ride and, with the advent of traction control, even more so. Guys like the group mentioned above had to RIDE without any such assistance. Traction control was their right wrist taking charge of a trigger more than a throttle. The retired old guard must laugh and resent a little of the credit being delved out on the current GP riders. Ya gotta wonder how the current group of GP riders would have dealt with the 500cc 2-strokes. We already know Rossi could handle them. My guess is Nicky and his dirt track background would adapt brilliantly, but how about the new 250cc class up-and-comers? They have a much easier entrance into MotoGP than anyone before. I say make traction control return to the rider's right wrist, but I've already lost that battle. Even our sport is becoming computer controlled. Damn.....

"we're the only country to reject soccer" I think baseball fills that void in the U.S. i.e sports that are fun to play but boring to watch.. If we didn't have baseball I am sure soccer would take it's place..

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